Project Grant D23AP00259

WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE WELLBEING OF OUR COMMUNITY IS INEXTRICABLY TIED TO THE INA (LAND,THAT WHICH FEEDS US) AS MOST EAST MAUI FAMILIES CONTINUE TO RELY ON THE INA AND KAI (SEA) FOR SUSTENANCE. ASGENERATIONAL RESIDENTS, WE HAVE WATCHED AS OUR INA HAS BEEN OVERBURDENED, OUR RESOURCES DIMINISHED, AND OURBELOVED AND SACRED PLACES OVERWHELMED BY HAWAIIS EXTRACTIVE VISITOR INDUSTRY. WE RECOGNIZE THAT THE CUMULATIVEAND ONGOING NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF TOURISM THREATEN OUR VERY WAY OF LIFE AS WELL AS THE INHERITANCE OF FUTUREGENERATIONS.ALIGNMENT WITH HIHI GRANT PROGRAM: KHEA A KAUIKI IS IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE HIHI GRANT PROGRAMS 2023PRIORITY TO SUPPORT THE MAINTENANCE, ENHANCEMENT, AND PROTECTION OF HAWAIIS NATURAL RESOURCES, WAHI KPUNA,AND WAHI PANA AT AREAS IMPACTED BY TOURISM. RECENTLY, STEWARDSHIP OF KAUIKI HAS BEEN RETURNED TO THE COMMUNITYTHROUGH THE TRANSFER OF THE TITLE FROM HNA RANCH PARTNERS TO KE AO HALII (ONE OF THE PROJECTS KEY PARTNERS).KAIHALULU (RED SAND BEACH) AND KAPUEOKAHI (HNA BAY), SITUATED WITHIN KAUIKI, ARE HIGHLY IMPACTED BY VISITORS.KAUIKI, A FAMOUS HILL PERCHED UPON THE SHORES OF HNA BAY, IS PERHAPS HNAS MOST TREASURED WAHI KAPU, WITHGENERATION UPON GENERATION OF CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE. BEST KNOWN AS THE BIRTHPLACE OF KAAHUMANU,KAUIKI WAS A FORTRESS THAT ENABLED OUR ANCESTORS TO DEFEND THEIR HOMELAND AGAINST INVADING FORCES. FOR RESIDENTSOF EAST MAUI, KAUIKI RESIDES AT THE VERY HEART OF OUR MEMORIES AND EXPERIENCES AS KEY SOCIAL CENTERS, COMMUNITYEVENTS, AND GATHERING PLACES ARE LOCATED WITHIN, OR AT THE FOOT OF, KAUIKI. THUS, KAUIKI REMAINS AS IT WAS FOROUR ANCESTORS, A STRONGHOLD FOR THE PEOPLE OF HNA AND MAUI HIKINA AS WE WORK TO MLAMA (STEWARD, RETAIN) ONE OFHAWAII LAST KPUKA (CULTURAL OASIS) WHERE COMMUNITIES COMPRISED PRIMARILY OF GENERATIONAL NATIVE HAWAIIANRESIDENTS CONTINUE TO EMBRACE CULTURAL AND SUBSISTENCE LIFESTYLES REMINISCENT OF THE HAWAII OF OUR GRANDPARENTSAND GREAT-GRANDPARENTS.PROJECT GOALS OBJECTIVES: KHEA A KAUIKI PROPOSES SIX INTERRELATED GOALS AND 17 MEASURABLE OBJECTIVES THATSEEK TO GROW OUR UNDERSTANDING OF KAUIKIS CULTURAL, SPIRITUAL, ENVIRONMENTAL, AND SOCIAL SIGNIFICANCE WHILE:INCREASING THE ENGAGEMENT OF NATIVE HAWAIIAN LINEAL DESCENDANTS AND GENERATIONAL RESIDENTS IN KAUIKISSTEWARDSHIP INCREASING OUR COLLECTIVE CAPACITY FOR COMMUNITY-LED INITIATIVES AMPLIFYING NATIVE VOICES IN THECOUNTY AND STATE-WIDE REGENERATIVE TOURISM DIALOGUE AND BUILDING A STRONG FOUNDATION FOR COMMUNITY-LED TOURISMINTERVENTIONS THAT NURTURE A MORE REGENERATIVE AND RECIPROCAL EXPERIENCE FOR RESIDENTS AND VISITORS ALIKE.